IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,842,213
Granted Patent B2
US 9,842,213 · App. 15/218,277 · Granted Dec 12, 2017

Mechanisms for locking computing devices

Inventors: Saurabh Dadu (Tigard, OR); Gyan Prakash (Beaverton, OR); Rajesh Poornachandran (Portland, OR); Jiphun Satapathy (Portland, OR); Farid Adrangi (Lake Oswego, OR)
Assignee: Intel Corporation
G06F21/575G06F21/31G06F21/34G06F21/35G06F21/70G06F21/88G06F2221/032
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,842,213
App. No.
15/218,277
Granted
Dec 12, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

Various systems and methods for locking computing devices are described herein. In an example, a portable device comprises an electro-mechanical lock; and a firmware module coupled to the electro-mechanical lock, the firmware module configured to: receive an unlock code; validate the unlock code; and unlock the electro-mechanical lock when the unlock code is validated. In another example, device for managing BIOS authentication, the device comprising an NFC module, the NFC module comprising an NFC antenna; and a firmware module, wherein the firmware module is configured to: receive an unlock code from an NFC device via the NFC antenna; validate the unlock code; and unlock a BIOS of the device when the unlock code is validated.

Claims (37)

1. A device for managing basic input/output system (BIOS) authentication, the device comprising:

an NFC radio, the NFC radio comprising an NFC antenna; and

a firmware module, wherein the firmware module is configured to:

receive an unlock code from an NFC device via the NFC antenna, the unlock code representing a secured one-time token;

validate the unlock code;

unlock a BIOS of the device when the unlock code is validated, wherein the BIOS was locked as a result of a lockdown mode being activated;

generate a new unlock code; and

transmit the new unlock code to the NFC device to unlock the BIOS during a later unlock process.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the unlock code is a cryptographic key.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the unlock code is an unlock sequence.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the NFC radio is configured to detect a tap of the NFC device, and upon detection of the tap, read an NFC tag incorporated into the NFC device.

5. The device of claim 1 , comprising a user application module configured to receive the unlock code and transmit the unlock code to the firmware module for validation.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the lockdown mode was activated upon an expiration of a timer.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the lockdown mode was activated upon failure to connect with a server for a threshold period.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the lockdown mode was activated manually be a user via a web site.

9. A method for providing basic input/output system (BIOS) authentication for a portable device, comprising:

receiving an unlock code at the portable device over a short-range communication protocol from an NFC device;

validating by the portable device, the unlock code, the unlock code representing a secured one-time token; and

unlocking a BIOS of the portable device when the unlock code is validated, wherein the BIOS was locked as a result of a lockdown mode being activated;

generating a new unlock code; and

transmitting the new unlock code to the NFC device to unlock the BIOS during a later unlock process.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the short-range communication protocol comprises near field communication (NFC).

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the unlock code is a cryptographic key.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the unlock code is an unlock sequence.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein receiving the unlock code comprises receiving the unlock code from an NFC tag.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein receiving the unlock code comprises receiving the unlock code from an NFC-enabled device.

15. At least one non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions for providing basic input/output system (BIOS) authentication for a portable device, which when executed by the portable computing device cause the portable computing device to perform the operations of:

receiving an unlock code at the portable device over a short-range communication protocol from an NFC device;

validating by the portable device, the unlock code, the unlock code representing a secured one-time token; and

unlocking a BIOS of the portable device when the unlock code is validated, wherein the BIOS was locked as a result of a lockdown mode being activated;

generating a new unlock code; and

transmitting the new unlock code to the NFC device to unlock the BIOS during a later unlock process.

16. The at least one non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the short-range communication protocol comprises near field communication (NFC).

17. The at least one non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the unlock code is a cryptographic key.

18. The at least one non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the unlock code is an unlock sequence.

19. The at least one non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions to receive the unlock code comprise instructions to receive the unlock code from an NFC tag.

20. The at least one non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions to receive the unlock code comprise instructions to receive the unlock code from an NFC-enabled device.

Continuity (2)
Continuation 13991611
Related Publication 20160335438A1 · Nov 17, 2016